Disappeared
by missmess11
Summary: Each step seemed to cause him more pain, but he continued. Luckily for him the outlaws hadn't bothered to unsaddle their horses. Heath untied his horse and two of their horses. He tried started to untie the third horse, but a loud bang from the campsite startled the animal. Chapter 4. Escape.
1. Storms Brewing

I do not own Big Valley or any of the characters.

September 4th.

The wind had been working hard all day and now a storm was beginning. The sky was a dark grey and thunder echoed in the distance. The ground was slick from the rain that had poured down for last three days. The creeks were so full that the sound of rushing water was heard from the house. It had yet to rain this morning, but everyone knew it was the calm before the storm.

Nick Barkley had finally been able to go to town and was now hurrying home. Nobody from the ranch had been to town in the last three days due to all the rain and the storms due to come. When the rain had stopped earlier that morning, Nick decided to go to town because he was expecting a telegraph from Heath. Now with the telegraph safely tucked away in his pocket, he was almost home, but it looked as though he was going to get wet. Nick was growing tired of the slow pace, but for the safety of him and his horse, he didn't ask the animal anything faster then a walk.

It was only a couple more miles to the house, but the rain decided not to wait. Lightning struck the ground and was soon followed by the sound of thunder. Coco spooked at the sound, but Nick quickly calmed the animal.

The rain began as a light shower, but soon became a downpour. Nick was glad that he had thought ahead and was already wearing his slicker.

A few minutes later, Nick could see the house. When Coco saw it as well, he began to walk faster. Finally they stopped in front of the barn. Ciego came out of the barn and took Nick's horse. Neither man bothered to say anything because it was impossible to hear over the pouring rain.

Nick ran to the house, holding his hat down to keep it from blowing away. He hurried inside and yelled, "Mother! Jarrod, Audra!" He took off his slicker, hat and boots while he waited for them to come.

"Nick, must you yell?" Victoria questioned, although she knew he would never stop yelling. It was something he had done from a very young age.

"Sorry Mother. Heath sent a telegram." He handed the piece of paper to Victoria and waited for her to read it to Jarrod and Audra.

" 'Leaving today, be home in three or four days. Love Heath.' " Victoria folded the piece of paper and set it on the table.

"That means he should be home by tomorrow since he didn't make it today," Nick happily told them.

"I can't wait to see the horses he got!" said Audra.

"He told me that he was pretty sure he could get that stallion at a good price," Jarrod told them.

"I hope so!" Audra sounded excited.

Silas walked into the room. "Lunch is ready Mrs. Barkley."

"Thank you, Silas. Nick, go wash up," Victoria told her son.

Jarrod offered both arms and Victoria and Audra looped their arms through his. The three chatted as they walked to the dinning room.

Nick climbed the steps three at a time and went straight into the bathroom to wash up.


	2. Missing

September 5th.

"I'm sure he's fine, Nick. The rain probably slowed him down," Victoria assured her son.

Nick continued to pace. Heath was supposed to have been home today, but now as the sun was setting, there was still no sign of the youngest Barkley son. The whole family was beginning to worry. Nick was past worried; he was ready to go out and search for him, but Victoria wouldn't allow him to go. Nick walked to the window and silently watched as the sun's last golden rays disappeared.

Nick finally spoke. "When Heath says he's gonna be home in three or four days, he almost always gets home on the third day. If he doesn't make it by noon on the fourth day, then he's late, but when he doesn't make it by the end of the fifth day then something has happened."

"He's right, Mother. Something must have happened," Audra agreed.

Victoria sighed. "I know. If he's not home by noon tomorrow, you can go look for him." She too was worried about Heath, but with more storms due to come, she didn't want another child out there. Last nights storm was bad and everyone predicted that it was going to get worse.

"Alright, I guess I'll go to bed." Nick kissed Victoria before going upstairs to his room.

"I should be going to bed too, Mother. I have to be at the orphanage tomorrow." Audra stood as she spoke. She hugged Victoria and then slowly walked up the stairs.

Victoria stood up and went to the window. She silently looked down the road, hoping that her son would ride up any minute, but the road remained empty. Victoria worried about her youngest; she knew that Nick was right. Heath should have been home by now. Victoria stood there for several minutes before following her children upstairs.

* * *

Victoria woke to the sound of the door closing. She sat up and listened, she could hear someone moving around. Victoria stood up, put on her robe and then quietly walked downstairs.

"Heath?" she questioned.

"No Mother, it's Jarrod," Jarrod lit a lantern. "Has Heath not come home yet?" he asked.

"No, Nick is going to look for him tomorrow," Victoria answered sleepily. "There wasn't a telegram or anything from Heath?"

"Nothing," Jarrod sadly answered her. "Why don't you go to bed, Mother?" he suggested.

"Okay, good night, Jarrod." She kissed his cheek.

"Good night, Mother." He kissed her forehead.

* * *

Nick lay in bed wide awake; he knew inside that something was wrong with Heath. It was a feeling all to familiar to him, almost every time Heath had been hurt Nick had known something was wrong even before they had found him. Now the feeling was stronger than before. Nick feared for his brother's life.

He heard the front door open and close, but as he started to get up, he heard the familiar sound of Jarrod setting his briefcase on the small table. Soon he heard voices and knew his mother had went downstairs. Nick didn't listen to the conversation, although he could hear it. Instead he allowed his thoughts to travel back in time. He thought back to when Heath first came to the ranch and how much he had hated him. How had that hate disappeared? He hadn't thought that he would ever stop hating Heath, but one day it seemed that he had just run out of hate. Now here he was worrying about his younger brother.

The sound of Jarrod's door closing brought Nick away from his thoughts. Nick sighed. There was no way he was going to get any sleep. Nick tossed the blankets aside and sat up. He started to light the lantern, but changed his mind because he didn't want anyone to see the light. He stood up and went to his closet. Nick got a pair of pants and a shirt and went to his dresser and found a pair of socks. He quickly got dressed and then slipped on his work boots. Nick picked up his watch and saw that it was four thirty A.M. The sun would be up in another hour.

Nick quietly left the room and went downstairs to the kitchen. Once there, he got out the coffee pot and filled it with water. Nick stirred the hot coals in the stove and then added three pieces of wood. He sat the pot on the stove and waited for the coffee to warm.

* * *

At five A.M. Silas got out of bed. He slowly got dressed and went to the kitchen. He could smell coffee and thought for a moment that maybe Heath made it home, but when he walked into the room he found the coffee pot sitting on the back burner and nobody in the room. Silas looked out the window and saw Nick walking through the morning grey. Any other day Nick wouldn't be up until just after sunrise. Heath was usually up before the sun. Silas and Heath would enjoy a cup of coffee together before both men went to work.

Silas smiled sadly. He had been missing Heath these last few days, now he was late and Nick insisted something had happened. Silas looked up to Heaven and silently prayed, asking God to once again keep a special eye on Heath. Silas heard someone moving around upstairs and knew that Jarrod was awake. The oldest Barkley boy usually helped Nick with chores when Heath was hurt or gone.

Silas added more wood to the small fire and moved the coffee pot up to the front burner, just above the fire. Then went to do his usual morning chores.

* * *

Breakfast was unusually quiet that morning. Nick wasn't his normal loud self and Audra wasn't talking about her plans for the morning. Jarrod concentrated on eating, while Victoria watched her two younger children move their food around their plates.

"Nick, Audra, please eat your food," Victoria finally spoke.

"Yes, Mother." Audra took a small bite of her food to show her mother that she would eat.

Nick continued to move his food in circles.

"Nick, you won't help Heath out any if you starve yourself," Victoria told him.

Nick obediently took a bite and then another. Victoria smiled at her son. There was a time when she thought he would never accept Heath, but now here he was worrying about his younger brother.

Nick had been so mad when Heath first came to the ranch. There had been so many fights, then the fights became less and less often and before long they were the best of friends. The first time Heath was hurt after coming to the ranch Nick had been so worried. The bullet had been in Heath's arm, but had done a lot of damage. Nick had quickly gotten him home, but in the time it took to get there Heath had lost so much blood. The bleeding had been so hard to stop and they had been worried that he would bleed to death before the doctor got to the ranch. In the end it had all worked out just fine and Heath recovered quickly.

Now she prayed that Tom's youngest son by blood and her youngest son by love, would make it home safely.

* * *

_Tauna Petit-Strawn said that she thought Victoria was passive about Heath's disappearance. I tried to change that a bit, but I don't know if I made it any better._

_Thanks, missmess11._


	3. On the Way

September 6th.

Nick and Jarrod had just finished saddling their horses when a young boy rode up.

"Mr. Barkley a telegraph came for you. Mr. Gand said it was important and to get it to you fast." Timmy was breathless by the time he stopped talking. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Nick.

"Thanks, Timmy." Nick took the piece of paper then handed Timmy a dime.

"Thanks, Mr. Barkley. Bye," Timmy grinned then rode away.

"What's it say, Nick?" Jarrod asked.

Nick frowned. "It's from Mr. Hander. It says that the stallion showed up at his ranch today." Nick started walking to the house, with Jarrod following.

Nick opened the front door and walked in. "Mother!"

Victoria walked in from the parlor. "What is it, Nick?" She asked concerned. "I thought you had already left."

"We was just finishing with our horses when Timmy showed up with a telegraph from Mr. Hander," Jarrod told her.

"Oh, no. What happened to Heath?" Worry was clearly written across her face.

"We don't know. All the telegraph says is that the stallion showed up at his ranch today." Nick handed the telegraph to her.

Victoria read the telegraph, then silently sat it on the table.

"Don't worry, Mother. We'll find him," Nick assured her.

"Be careful." Victoria told them.

"We will. Goodbye, Mother." Jarrod opened the door and walked out.

"Bye, Mother." Nick kissed Victoria on the forehead then followed Jarrod out the door.

Victoria silently stood in the doorway and watched Jarrod and Nick ride away. She prayed that they would quickly find their brother and come home safely. But she knew that things were never that simple.

* * *

September 1st.

Heath waved goodbye to the old rancher then gently spurred his horse forward. Heath and Mr. Hander had gotten along very well and Heath had been able to get the stallion for a good price. Hander had even offered him a few mares for only one hundred fifty dollars. They were from some of his best stock, but Heath knew they had more then enough mares at the ranch.

The stallion trotted beautifully along side Heath's horse. It's dark brown coat shining beneath the sun. The animal had spirit for sure, it took Heath and Mr. Hander an hour to get a halter on it, but once the halter was on, the horse became one of the gentlest stallions he had ever seen. Hander had already gotten a few foals out of the stallion and showed them to Heath. The were well built and had beautiful color. Heath hoped to got some nice quality foals from this stallion.

Now Heath was on his way home. He had already sent a telegraph telling his family that he was on his way. He had been gone for five days now and was in a hurry to get home. Heath missed his family when he was gone, but it was good for him to get away every now in then. Sometimes he gets to feeling crowded. Heath was slowly getting used to it, but there were still times when he just needed to get away.

It had been so hard the first few weeks after he came to the ranch. Nick was always pushing him, trying to get him riled, many times he had succeeded. Heath had never been one to anger easily, but Nick seemed to know just how to make him mad. Several times their fights would end with both of them covered in blood and bruises and two or more of the hands pulling them apart.

Jarrod was pretty easy to get along with. Heath enjoyed talking to him. When Jarrod learned that Heath liked to read, he let him borrow any book that he wanted to. But like all brothers, they had their ups and downs. They never fought like him and Nick, but they had a few different opinions.

Audra accepted him from the moment she learned he was her brother, but she did test him. He loved her with all his heart, but she sure could get into trouble. The first time he met her, she tried to beat him with her riding whip. Next he had to get her away from a group of drunks. Nobody wanted to be on her bad side, he had managed to stay far away from that side of her, but there was a few times that Nick would push her to her limits.

Victoria was the glue that held them all together. When he first faced her after telling them he was a Barkley, he thought for sure she would be mad. Heath thought that she would yell at him, demand him to get away from her and her family, but she didn't. He often wondered how hard it must have been for her to allow her husband's bastard son into her home. But she treated him like her sons, even called him her son and for that he was thankful.

Silas was a good friend to Heath. He had helped him adjust to being a Barkley. Heath's momma had taught him manners, but Silas taught him what to do and what not to do, when eating at fancy diners or parties. Silas also understood Heath better then the Barkleys, they had both been through a lot in their lives. They enjoyed talking early in the morning just before the sun would come up. Some mornings they would just quietly drink their coffee.

Heath took off his hat and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back off his hand, then placed his hat back on. He slowed the horses down to a walk. The heat was almost unbearable. The only ones that dared to cross the desert in the heat of the day were man and beast.

Heath was already five miles away from Mr. Hander's ranch. There was no sign of life other then the occasional lizard.

* * *

_I'm not quite happy with this chapter, but I haven't been able to update in awhile so thought I should post it. _


	4. Escape

September 3rd.

Heath warily watched as large cloud of dust came closer and closer. He had noticed it fifteen minutes earlier, when it had only been a speck in the distance. It looked to be at least two or three riders and they were moving fast. Heath figured that the only people who would ride that fast across the desert would be outlaws. Who ever it was he didn't want to run into them so he spurred Gal into a trot. The stallion reared a little before trotting alongside.

The riders continued to come closer, it seemed as though they were following him. Heath had been in situations like this before and they had never come out good for him. He had come close to getting killed several times, but had always managed to escape with or without a horse. He had gotten shot once, the outlaws thought he was dead and left. Heath hadn't been far from town that time and had gotten to a doctor before the end of the day. Now he wondered how this day would turn out if those riders caught up to him.

Heath looked over his shoulder and could now see that there were three riders. They weren't far behind him so spurred Gal into a gallop. The stallion eagerly galloped ahead pulling the lead rope tight. The sudden jerk surprised Heath and pain shot through his arm. It was all he could do to keep his grip on the rope and pull the stallion back so that it was galloping beside Gal. Again he looked over his shoulder and saw the riders coming up behind him with their guns pointed straight at him.

The first shot seared past his head so close he could feel it burn his cheek. He leaned forward onto Gal's neck. Several shots followed the first, each coming so close that Heath could feel the wind from them. Suddenly Gal stumbled and fell, Heath flew off and landed several feet away. Heath struggled to breathe for a few moments. He could hear the riders coming to a stop just feet away from him. Heath could hear one of the walking towards him, but made no move to get up because he was still having trouble catching his breath, he didn't even open his eyes.

The man stopped beside him and stood for a moment just looking down at Heath. Suddenly he kicked Heath hard in the side. Heath gasped at the pain and instantly set up and wrapped his arms around himself, still trying to catch his breath. The man snorted, then took Heath's gun and walked away.

Heath was finally able to catch his breath and slowly looked up to see what they were doing. A short man dressed in a faded red shirt and dark brown hat was looking through Heath's saddle bag. A large man was checking to see if Gal was hurt. The third man was the one that had kicked Heath, from his hat to his boots the man was wearing black even his holster was black. His pistol had a pearl handle and looked to have been custom made. The man was built like Nick even the way he walked reminded Heath of Nick.

Heath slowly stood up and looked around. He could see the stallion galloping away. Gal had her left leg lifted up as though it was hurt. The big man turned around to look at him. Heath almost flinched at the glare on the man's face. Apparently he didn't care for people the way he did animals. The smaller man threw down the saddle bag and turned to Heath.

"Wallet." He held out his hand expectantly.

Heath didn't move.

"Either give it to me or I'll take it." The man threatened.

Not wanting to fight, Heath gave the man his wallet. The man eagerly took it and pulled out the cash and threw the wallet on the ground. He quickly counted the money then counted again.

"Only twenty-seven dollars!" the man yelled. "With that kind of horse I thought you would have more money then that!" He pointed to the cloud of dust that surrounded the running stallion.

Heath shrugged his shoulders and remembered to late that his right shoulder was hurt. He winced at the pain. The smaller man noticed him wince and grinned evilly.

"Did you get hurt when you fell?" he questioned.

Heath didn't answer.

"Jerry, don't start somethin' you can't finish," the big man warned.

"I can take him." No sooner had he got the words out when he hit Heath in the stomach as hard as he could.

Heath bent over in pain, but still did not make any move to defend himself. He hoped if he didn't fight back they would leave him alone, but the man continued to hit him.

"What's wrong, boy? To afraid to fight?" Jerry taunted.

Out of the corner of his eye, Heath could see the third man watching while drinking out of a flask of whisky. From the smell of them, he guessed they had all been drinking.

"If you're going to hit him do it right." The big man pushed past Jerry as he spoke.

"Like you could do any better, Zac." Jerry moved out of his way.

Heath didn't like the way they were just throwing their names around as though they didn't care. He also didn't like the fact that the big man was walking towards him. Zac grabbed the front of Heath's shirt and pulled him forward. Heath stumbled a few steps forward before Zac's fist hit him in the stomach. Yet again Heath found the breath knocked out of him. Zac continued to hit him in the stomach and ribs. Heath was sure he felt a few break. He wasn't sure how long the beating went on, but when Zac stopped Heath fell to his knees with his arms wrapped tightly around himself struggling to breathe.

Zac laughed as he walked toward Jerry and the third man. "Hey Boss, how 'bout we split the money now?" Zac took a bottle of whisky out of his saddle bag while he spoke.

"No!"

Heath was surprised by how much the man sounded like Nick.

"But Boss, we're four days away from that town. Ain't nobody gonna catch us," Jerry complained. He took another drink of whisky out of his own bottle.

"Yeah Boss, we should just spilt it and go our separate ways." Zac continued to drink.

The boss seemed to consider that. If they went separate ways the posse would be less likely to find them. He looked off into the distance making sure that they were not being followed. No sign of a cloud of dust, but he saw that in the short time they had been there the sun had begun to set.

"We'll make camp here and spilt the money tomorrow." The boss turned around and smiled down at Heath.

Heath gasped when he saw the man's face. He could have sworn he was looking at Nick.

The man had no idea what caused Heath reaction, he thought maybe it way fear or pain either way he didn't care. He kicked Heath hard in the ribs and laughed at his pain. Heath doubled over in pain and gasped struggling to breathe. Zac and Jerry laughed as they drank their whisky and tried to set up camp.

Heath slowly straightened up, but remained on his knees. He hoped that they would forget about him and that he'd be able to escape in the dark. The three men had gotten a fire started and was warming a pot of beans. Heath doubted they would eat the beans because they had yet to put down their bottles of whisky.

The men's laughter continued to grow louder, then suddenly it stopped. When Heath realized that they had stopped laughing he looked up to see what had happened. He hoped they were passed out, but instead they were walking towards him. Heath knew what was coming, he had been through it to many times not to know. Zac and Jerry both grabbed an arm and pulled him to his feet. Heath struggled against their grip, but the pain in his shoulder quickly stopped his efforts.

The boss laughed at his struggling and hit him hard in the stomach. The three men continued to take turns beating him.

* * *

September 4th.

The sun was just beginning to shine when Heath finally woke up. He was stiff and sore from the beating he had received last night. Heath carefully turned his head so that he was facing the camp fire. It took his eyes a moment to focus, but when they did he seen that the three men had passed out. Slowly Heath moved his arms and legs, he found that his right shoulder was worse then before and his ribs hurt horribly. He used his left arm to push himself up until he was sitting then he slowly got on his knees. Finally he stood on shaky legs and walked to where the horses we tied. Each step seemed to cause him more pain, but he continued.

Luckily for him the outlaws hadn't bother to unsaddle their horses. Heath untied his horse and two of their horses. He tried started to untie the third horse, but a loud bang from the campsite startled the animal. Heath looked to camp and seen Jerry moving around. Heath quickly, but carefully got on one of the outlaws horses and picked up Gal and the other horse's reins. He didn't ride Gal because she was still favoring her leg.

* * *

"Boss! The horses are gone!" Jerry yelled. He jumped up and ran to the one horse followed by Zac and the Boss.

"That guys gone too! He must have toke 'em," said Zac.

The boss cursed. He looked at the one horse left then back at Jerry and Zac. Suddenly he drew his gun and quickly fired two shots.

They hadn't bother to take the saddle bag full of money of his horse and Heath had taken that horse.

* * *

_Thanks Ruby, for pointing out that Heath should have shooed the other horse away. I guess I didn't think that one through.  
__I changed it up a bit to explain why he left the horse. Thanks everyone for the wonderful reviews. _

_Trinideanfan and kimber1461 both asked why Heath didn't fight so I changed it a tiny bit. Sorry that I over looked a few things. If you notice anything else I left out be sure to tell me. Thanks._

_I'll try to update soon. Sorry if it takes awhile though. _

_Missmess11._


	5. Found

September 5th.

The night had been short for Heath. He hadn't slept long when he was awoke by an unknown sound. He had looked around, but didn't see anything. Just as he was laying back down a light in the distance caught his eye. It had been very close so he decided that it would be best to leave.

Heath had unsaddled the horse he had been riding. Now he turned that horse loose because his broken ribs and bad shoulder wouldn't allow him to saddle the horse. He took the saddlebag off the saddle figuring that he could use whatever was in it. He picked up Gal's reins and got on the other horse and rode away.

Now an hour after sunrise he could see a small cloud of dust in the distance. Heath had only been riding at a trot. Which was proving to be difficult with his ribs. He wished he could ride Gal whose gait was smooth. Gal wasn't limping anymore, but Heath knew it was too soon to ride her so he stuck with the horse he was on now.

The cloud of dust was getting closer as the hour went by. Although he had left camp five hours before the outlaw the man was catching up fast. Heath had no idea why he was being followed by the man, but he knew that whatever reason it wasn't good. By noon there was only a mile between Heath and the outlaw.

There was no way Heath was going to out run the man in his current condition so he did the only thing he could. He stopped. There was a watering hole up ahead surrounded by rocks and a few small trees. Heath dismounted and lead to two horses through the rocks and to the water. He quickly got his rifle and the rifle off the stolen horse. Heath also grabbed the saddle bags and two canteens. He led the horses to a tree and tied them up.

While he waited for the outlaw to show up he filled the canteens and looked through the saddlebags for something to eat. He pulled a small bag out of the saddlebag hoping to find some jerky inside, but instead he found money. Surprised he quickly shoved the money back into the saddle bag and hid it under a rock. Now he knew why he was being followed.

The horse that he had been riding neighed causing Heath to jump. Both horses were looking at something in the distance. Heath followed their gaze and saw the outlaw riding up with his gun drawn. Heath used his hand gun to fire off a warning shot. The bullet hit the ground directly in front of the horse. The large animal reared and the rider struggled to stay on. Finally the animal calmed down. The outlaw quickly ran the animal to a large boulder and dismounted and took cover behind it. The outlaw used his rifle to fire back a shot at Heath. The two continued to take pot shots at one another throughout the day.

* * *

It was dark out and still the occasional shot was fired. The outlaw had tried several times to sneak into Heath's small camp, but Heath heard him each time and quickly fired a shot to chase him back behind his rock. Heath was growing tired and began to wonder if he would be able to stay awake.

Heath wonder if his family was looking for him yet. He was only a few days late so there was chance they weren't worried yet. But knowing Nick the way he did he was pretty sure they would be looking for him soon.

Thunder echoed in the distance and storm clouds slowly blew over them. The night would be long.

* * *

September 6th.

Nick and Jarrod slowly rode through the desert. They had stopped in Stockton to send a telegraph to Mr. Hander asking him to hold onto the stallion until they could get him. The two brothers hadn't spoke one word to each other since they left Stockton. Both were lost in thought, each wondering where Heath was and going over all the things that could have happened to him in the middle of the desert. Now they were several miles into the desert.

Nick was growing more worried by the minute. He just knew something had happened. Now a storm was brewing over the valley. The way the storm was continuing to build up every one was sure it was going to be big.

Bang! Bang!

Nick and Jarrod were jerked out of their thoughts by two gun shots.

"It came from over there!" Jarrod yelled.

They spurred their horses into a gallop quickly covering the ground between them and the shooters.

Bang!

They could now see where the shooters where. They dismounted while the horses were still slowing down and quickly took cover behind some large rocks.

* * *

Heath saw the riders coming and for a split second looked away.

Bang!

Heath fell back against the rock he was leaning on when a bullet grazed his head. He pressed his left hand against his forehead while struggling to untie his bandanna from his neck. His right arm was still painful to use. Finally he got it untied and pressed it against his head. Taking a few deep breaths he tried to still the dizziness.

* * *

Judd the outlaw, saw that he had hit Heath and was now stepping out from behind the boulder. He looked over to were the riders had stopped. They slowly stepped out from behind the rocks they were hiding behind.

"If you hadn't come along he surely would have killed me!" Judd exclaimed.

The two men slowly walked up to him. "Who were you shooting at?" Nick questioned him.

Both Nick and Jarrod were shocked when they saw the man's face. If Jarrod didn't know any better he could have mistaken them for twins.

Judd too was shocked to see Nick face, but quickly covered up the fact. "I don't rightly know who he is. I was just riding up to that waterin' hole when he shot at me. When you two rode up it distracted him long enough for me to get a shot at him."

"Well lets see who he is," Jarrod spoke.

They slowly and carefully walked to the boulders Heath was behind. Nick suddenly was full of dread.

Judd drew his gun and carefully walked around the boulder. Jarrod and Nick followed close behind.

* * *

Heath held his hand gun in his left hand waiting for the outlaw to walk up. The wound was still bleeding and it dripped onto his eyelashes making it hard to see. He heard voices, but couldn't understand what was being said. He was growing increasingly dizzy.

Judd stepped directly in front of Heath. Heath raised his gun to shoot. Just as he was going to pull the trigger Nick walked up behind Judd. Heath froze, unsure if his bullet wound was causing him to see double. Jarrod was just a step behind Nick, but Heath was so focused on Judd and Nick he didn't notice him.

"Heath!" Both Jarrod and Nick said his name.

Judd quickly realized that these men knew each other. He drew his gun intending to shot Heath, but he forget that Heath also had his gun drawn.

Bang! Bang! One shot quickly followed the other. The first hit its target in the chest. The second hit dirt several yards away.

Nick and Jarrod watched the man fall then quickly turned to Heath.

"Heath! What happened boy?" Nick questioned. Nick reached out to move Heath's hand from the wound and was surprised when Heath flinched and stepped back.

"Nick, wait a minute." Jarrod grabbed Nick by the shoulder. He pointed to the now dead man.

Nick nodded his head, understanding what Jarrod meant. "Heath, it's me, Nick." Nick reached out again, this time Heath didn't move away instead he fell forward.

Jarrod and Nick quickly reacted and caught Heath before he fell.


	6. A long night in a Cave

September 6th.

Bang!

Heath watch as the man fell to the ground. Then he just laid there his eyes looked up at the sky unseeing. A red circle on his chest.

"Nick?" Heath couldn't believe it. He had just shot his brother. "Nick!" No. No, that man couldn't be Nick. That man had beat him. Nick wouldn't beat him, would he? His head hurt so bad and his ribs ands shoulder hurt too. "Nick?" Why had Nick beat him? Why had Nick tried to shoot him? He killed Nick! No, that wasn't Nick or was it? "Nick?"

"Easy Heath, I'm right here." Nick softly spoke to his brother. "Jarrod's here too, Heath."

Heath could hear Nick's voice, but that didn't make sense. He had killed Nick. No, he hadn't killed Nick he had killed the outlaw, hadn't he? Slowly he opened his eyes.

"Welcome back, Heath." Jarrod smiled when Heath looked up at him.

"I killed Nick!" Heath exclaimed. He quickly sat up, but regretted the movement when he was sure he was going to throw up. He probably would have throw up if there had been something in his stomach.

"You didn't kill me, Heath." Nick carefully helped his brother lay down.

Heath lay unmoving and was as white as a sheet. Waiting for his stomach to settle. Finally he opened his eyes.

"Alright?" Nick questioned. Heath nodded his head. Nick helped Heath sit up while Jarrod got a canteen. Jarrod helped Heath drink the warm water.

"Thanks." Heath smiled slightly. He reached up to rub his forehead, but Nick caught him by the wrist.

"We just got the bleeding stopped so don't go messin' with it." Nick told him. When Heath nodded his head in agreement Nick let go of his wrist.

"What happened to that outlaw?" Heath questioned.

"You killed him," Jarrod answered.

Heath didn't say anything.

"You think you can stand?" Nick asked.

"Yeah." Nick and Jarrod both took a hand and pulled him to his feet. He swayed for a moment, probably would have fallen if not for Nick and Jarrod. After the dizziness faded he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the dead outlaw.

"He looked just like Nick," Heath stated the fact.

Jarrod and Nick left him leaning against the rock he had been hiding behind earlier. Nick went to get the horses while Jarrod wrapped the body in a blanket. Together they lifted the outlaw up onto his horse and tied him on. Heath silently watched. Nick then helped Heath onto the horse he had taken from the outlaws.

"Nick?" Heath spoke as Nick started to turn away.

"Yeah, Heath?" Nick asked.

"There's a saddle bag under that rock over there." Heath pointed at it.

Nick went to get it. He pushed the rock over and picked up the bag. He opened it up and saw that there was a bag full of money in it.

"They stole it," Heath answered Nick's unasked question.

"They?" Jarrod questioned.

"I'll tell you when we get back to the ranch," Heath assured them.

"We'd better hurry that storms moving in fast," Nick told them.

Jarrod and Nick mounted their horses. Nick leading the horse with Judd on it and Jarrod leading Gal.

They had been riding for an hour when the rain came. It was instantly a downpour. They had put on their slickers and kept riding. Heath was dizzy and swayed in the saddle. His bullet wound was bleeding again, but he hadn't bother to tell Nick or Jarrod. Sounds began to fade into the distance so he didn't hear Nick or Jarrod's voices.

"Heath, are you alright?" Jarrod asked again.

Jarrod and Nick were riding on both sides of Heath. Nick reached out to touch him, but once again Heath moved away from his hand. The movement caused him to fall towards Jarrod. Jarrod reached out to catch his brother and barely succeeded. The sudden weight almost caused him to fall off his horse.

Nick helped Jarrod get Heath sat up then climbed on behind him. Jarrod took the reins to Nick's horse and the outlaws.

* * *

Victoria silently stared out the window watching the rain pouring down. She worried about her sons especially Heath. Heath had been missing for a few days now. Her and Audra had went about their daily tasks, but still constantly thought about the missing man and his brothers. Silas had also been worrying. He kept himself busy doing chores and doing them again.

"I'm going to bed, Mother." Audra knew it would be awhile before she would asleep. She was so worried about her brothers.

"Good night, Dear."

"Good night, Mother." Audra quietly left the room.

Victoria sighed. Worrying would do no good, but she couldn't help it. Worrying was what mothers did best.

* * *

"Nick. Nick! Please, Nick, don't. Nick, don't hit me. Don't hit me again." Heath mumbled. His fever continued to get higher. He had become delirious.

"We need to get out of this rain!" Jarrod yelled over the sound of thunder.

"I know," Nick didn't have to yell because the thunder had died away. Heath continued to mumbled Nick only understood a few words, but from what he gathered Heath had been beaten by the gang of outlaws.

They were now out of the desert and deep into the woods.

"There's some caves up ahead we can make camp in there." Jarrod had seen the caves when a flash of lightning lit up the land.

The three brothers slowly rode to the caves. They had to duck down to ride their horses into it, but the inside was taller then the entrance. Nick and Jarrod dismounted then carefully got Heath down. Nick leaned Heath up against the cave wall and held him up while Jarrod spread out a bedroll for him. They carefully laid him down then started a fire with some dry wood that was in the cave entrance.

Jarrod got the canteens and got a bandanna wet. He used it to try to cool Heath. In the fire's light Jarrod could see the growing circle of red on Heath's forehead. He asked Nick to get a shirt out of his saddle bag and to cut off a sleeve and a piece from the back. Nick quickly done as he had asked and handed the pieces to him. He folded the piece from the back and pressed it against the wound. When the bleeding slowed he used the sleeve to tie the piece of cloth into place.

The two brothers continued to take turns sitting with Heath through the rest of the day and night. They warmed some beans for dinner, but only took a few bites.

* * *

_This chapters kind of short, but I hope you all will like it anyway. Just a few more chapters to go and I think I'll be finished. I'm kind of in a hurry to finish because I already got another story in my head waiting to be wrote. Thanks for the reviews._

_Missmess11._


	7. Almost Home

September 7th.

Heath opened his eyes and saw that Jarrod had fallen asleep leaning against the cave wall. Heath wondered when they had gotten to the cave. The only thing he could remember from the night before was that it had started raining. Slowly he tried to sit up. It was then he remembered that his shoulder was still very sore. He gasped, waking up Jarrod.

"Easy, Heath," Jarrod tiredly spoke. "Feeling better?"

"I'm fine," Heath told him.

Jarrod carefully helped Heath sit up and lean against his saddle. He then put his hand on Heath's forehead, once satisfied that the fever was gone Jarrod stood up and went to get a canteen. He handed the canteen to Heath.

"Thanks." Heath took the canteen and drank for several seconds. Finally satisfied he gave the canteen back to Jarrod. In the short time it took Jarrod to sit down, Heath fell asleep.

After a few minutes of struggling to stay wake Jarrod decided it was time to wake Nick.

* * *

The rain had finally stopped early the next morning. The sun was just beginning to shine. Nick rolled over onto his back and was startled awake when he accidentally put his arm in a stream of cold water. He quickly removed his arm from the water and sat up.  
It took his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dim lighting. When he could see he looked over to where Heath was laying.  
Jarrod sat with his back against the cave wall just barely managing to stay awake. Heath laid unmoving, his fever had broke around one in the morning, but Nick and Jarrod thought it best to keep an eye on him.

"How's he doin'?" Nick asked.

"Fine, he hasn't woke up since this morning," Jarrod answered. He slowly stood up his sore muscles protesting against the weight.

"Why don't you rest for a few minutes. I'll get started on some breakfast," Nick suggested.

Jarrod nodded his head in agreement. He went to his bedroll and laid down. He was asleep in just a few minutes.

Nick added more wood to the fire then went to work making breakfast. While the food was cooking he went to change Heath's bandage. The wound had bleed some more during the night, but nothing to be worried about. He carefully lifted Heath's head and untied the bandage then he tried to removed the piece of cloth that was on the wound, but the dried blood made it stick.  
Not wanting to hurt Heath, Nick got a canteen and soaked a bandanna in the water. He used the bandanna to wet the cloth making it easy to pull off the wound. Nick then went to get the shirt that they had used the night before to make bandages.  
Again he cut the sleeve off and a square from the back. When he turned back to Heath he saw that he was awake.

"How are feelin'?" Nick questioned.

"Fine," Heath quietly answered. Heath rolled his eyes at the look Nick gave him. "I'm a little tired, but other then that I feel fine," Heath assured him.

"What something to drink?" When Heath nodded his head Nick picked up the canteen and passed it to him. Then he began to replace the bandage on the wound.

Heath sat the canteen down. Heath asked, "where's Jarrod?"

"He's sleepin'." Nick finished tying the knot on the makeshift bandage. He then helped Heath to sit up. "Hungry?"

"Yeah." His head hurt and his ribs and shoulder were sore, but other then that Heath was feeling pretty good. He was pretty sure his chest and stomach were cover in bruises he had not had a chance to look yet.

"Here," Nick held out a plate.

"Thanks, Nick." Heath took the plate.

"So what happened out there?" Nick asked. Heath had told them he would tell them when they got home, but Nick was bored so he asked anyway. "You said there was more then one. How many was there?"

"Three," Heath answered between mouthful's of food.

"How'd you end up with the money?" Nick questioned.

Heath rolled his eyes, the only way Nick was going to be quiet was if he told him the story. He started from the beginning.  
"I was a few days away from town when I noticed a cloud of dust. I didn't worry about at first, but when they started to get closer I figured they were up to no good. They caught up pretty fast and Gal fell. Thats how I hurt my shoulder. They beat me that night and the next morning I high tailed it outta there. I one of the horses I took had the money in the saddle bag, but I didn't know that 'til later." Heath finished the story and continued eating.

Nick sat quietly for a few minutes going over Heath's story. Heath sure wasn't one to give a lot of details. Shaking his head Nick stood up. "I'm gonna go saddle the horses. We need to leave pretty soon Mother and Audra are probably worried sick." Nick went to the horse and began to saddle them.

Thirty minutes later Nick woke up Jarrod and the three brothers left.

* * *

_Sorry that its been awhile since I've updated and sorry for another short chapter. I'll try to update faster next time. Thanks for reading._


	8. Mountain Men

September 7th.

They were somewhere around ten miles from the ranch when the sun began to set. They could have made it home before dark if they had rode faster, but the three brothers had been traveling slowly never going any faster then a walk. Although they all wanted to be home Nick and Jarrod didn't want to push Heath too hard. Silently they went to work to set up camp for the night. Nick took care of the horses while Heath and Jarrod started a fire and got diner cooking.

Heath could barely stay awake, but he insisted on doing his share of the work. Not wanting to argue Jarrod finally agreed to let him get the fire started and diner cooking. After setting up camp Jarrod and Nick decided to burry the body of the outlaw. They had planned to turn it in to the sheriff for a proper burial, but since it was taking so long to get home they thought it best to bury it.

Heath leaned back against his saddle while their diner cooked. He could hear the steady sound of shovels hitting the ground then dirt being tossed aside. He found himself thinking about all that had happened in just a few days.  
Losing the stallion when he was caught by a gang of drunk outlaws. Getting beaten by them and escaping the next morning. Shooting it out with the leader and now finding himself here with his brothers. Now as he thought about it he wondered what happened to the other two outlaws. More then less likely the leader had shot them.

He must have fallen asleep because next thing he new Nick was standing beside him with a plate in his hand. They silently ate their meal each deep in thought. Their thoughts mostly stayed close to home and a soft bed, but every now and then they thought of what could have happened if Nick and Jarrod hadn't showed up when they did.

"How are you feeling?" Jarrod asked. He scraped what was left on his plate off then put it down by the rest of their things.

"I'm alright," Heath answered.

Jarrod picked up a saddle bag and found the shirt that the had been using for bandages. He sat down next to Heath and began to undo the bandage on his head. The wound hadn't bled anymore, but Jarrod wanted to get the dusty bandage off. The wound wasn't bad only a few inches long and deep enough to give him a bad headache.  
All around the wound was a dark bruise that was very tender. Soon he finished tying the bandage and then gathered the old bandages and threw them into the fire.

"Thanks, Jarrod," Heath managed a small smile.

After a few minutes of silence Nick spoke. "Where do you think they stole that money from? I didn't hear anything about a bank being robbed when we was in town."

"Could have stolen it from a ranch somewhere nearby," Jarrod suggested.

"Maybe." Nick continued to think about it for a few minutes. "Wonder how much is in there?"

"A lot," Heath answered sarcastically. He wanted to go to sleep, but Nick apparently wanted to talk. It wasn't quite dark out yet and the night critters were already up and moving. Heath thought for a moment he could hear someone talking out in the woods, but wasn't sure.

* * *

"Ya hear that?" Jonah asked.

"No, all I heard was them fellas talkin'."

"You idiot," he hit his brother on the head.

"Ow!"

"Hush!"

"What'd ya hit me fer?" Dan rubbed his head where Jonah had hit him.

" 'Cause I was talkin' bought them fellas."

"What about 'em?"

"Ain't Pa taught you nothin'?"

"No, why?" Now he was completely confused.

"Yer an idiot!" Jonah almost yelled, but he remembered just in time that they were trying to be quiet.

"Ya already said that!" Dan was really annoy at his brother now.

"Would ya shut up and listen!" When Dan nodded his head in agreement Jonah continued, "it sounds like they got a lot of money with 'em. Now we's gonna wait fer 'em ta go ta sleep and take the money."

"Where they gonna take it?" Daniel ducked down as his brother's hand swung at him again. "Haha," he laughed just before his brother punched him hard in the stomach.

"Shut up, Dan."

* * *

_Nick! Stop please Nick, stop. Heath couldn't understand it nothing made since. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it was just a dream, but he couldn't wake up. He knew it to be a dream because he couldn't feel anything. They were beating him yet he couldn't feel it. Why couldn't he wake up. Why was this tormenting him so bad.  
He had been beaten before and never had nightmares from it. _

Heath gasped and his eyes shot open. He hadn't had a dream like that since shortly after he had come to the Barkley's.

Suddenly someone yelled.

* * *

Dan walked behind his brother as they slowly went through the camp looking for a saddle bag full of money. Jonah suddenly stopped walking. Dan wasn't paying attention and ran into his older brother knocking him down.

"You idiot!" Jonah yelled as he stumbled and fell. He landed right on top of Heath.

Heath instinctively grabbed Jonah and flipped him over on his back and pinned him to the ground. Jonah struggled beneath Heath, but quickly realized that he wasn't nearly as strong as him. It was only a few seconds later that Nick and Jarrod stood with their guns drawn.

Dan stood with his hands in the air his eyes moving from Nick and Jarrod to Heath and Jonah. He was unsure of what to do so he just stood as still as possible.

"Get off me!" Jonah yelled at Heath.

Heath reluctantly stood up. He couldn't help, but smile when he realized that they were a couple mountain men that he had met once before when he was on his way to the Barkley ranch.

"What are you doing here?" Nick asked.

"Ain't nothin' ya need ta know!" Jonah stood up and faced Nick as he spoke.

"You're in our camp so that makes it our business," Nick stated the fact.

Heath finally spoke, "don't worry 'bout them, Nick. They're just a couple of harmless mountain men."

"Harmless! I'll show ya harmless!" Jonah was getting very annoyed.

"Yeah! He'll show ya harmless!" Dan still stood with his hands in the air.

"Shut up ya idiot!" Jonah turned to his brother and started to hit him, but Heath caught his arm. Jonah swung around aiming to hit Heath in the jaw.

Heath ducked down and narrowly missed being hit. "Relax Jonah, it's me, Heath."

"Heath? I don't know any Heath," Jonah thought about for a moment longer then shook his head.

"Yeah, ya do. Remember Jonah we meant him, uh, a year ago!" Dan yelled happily when he remembered.

"Oh yeah, I remember now. Yer Heath Thomson," a smile slowly lit up his face.

"Heath?" Jarrod's questioning voice finally interrupted the conversation.

"Oh yeah, Jarrod, Nick, this is Jonah and Daniel Mayes. Jonah, Daniel, these are my brothers Jarrod and Nick Barkley."

"Barkley, huh. I thought yer name was Thomson," Dan was now confused.

"I'll explain it to you later Dan," Heath really didn't want to explain it to him. The poor man got confused so easily.  
"What are you two doing off the mountain?"

"Well, uh, Pa, he kinda, well he kicked us off the mountain 'cause o' his fool mistake," Jonah pointed at Dan.

"It weren't my fault!" Dan yelled.

Nick and Jarrod were slightly confused and very tired by now. "Could we just go back to sleep and discuss this in the morning?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, we need to get an early start in the morning. Nick you might want to put the saddle bag next to you," Heath turned to Jonah and smiled.

Jonah smiled back pretending to be innocent. "Put yer hands down ya idiot!" Jonah smacked his brother across the back of his head.

* * *

I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to add Jonah and Dan or not, but I finally decided I might need them later. Sorry this chapater is late again. Only two more chapters left unless I change my mind and add something else.

Thanks for all the reviews.


	9. Home at Last

September 8th.

Heath woke to the sound of birds chirping and Dan and Jonah's snoring. When he opened his eyes he saw that the sun was just beginning to rise and that Nick and Jarrod were also just waking. He sat up and put on his boots before rolling up his bedroll. Nick was taking care of breakfast this morning so Heath and Jarrod saddled the horses.

Heath's shoulder was still a bit sore, but not enough to stop him from saddling the horses. His headache wasn't as bad as it had been. His ribs hurt the worst, but he had put up with worse pain before. Charger nickered when he saw Heath. The horse was ready to go as always. Heath patted Charger's shoulder before he saddled the horse. When he was done with Charger he saddled Nick's horse for him.

When Jarrod and Heath finished with the horses they went to sit by the fire and enjoy a cup of coffee. Jonah and Daniel continued to sleep until the smell of bacon woke them.

"So how did you three meet?" Nick asked around a mouthful of bacon.

Heath swallowed his food before answering. " 'Bout a week before I came to the ranch I was up in the mountains. I had made camp for the night and had just fallen asleep when Dan tripped over me."

"It was Jonah's ideas ta go an see what we could find in his saddle bags," Dan added.

"I had just opened his saddle bag when that idiot tripped over him," Jonah glared accusingly at his brother.

"I never did figure out how you tripped over me. With the fire you should of been able to see me," Heath looked at Dan questioningly.

"I hadn't meant ta, but I guess I just got too close. I was gonna take yer hat," Dan answered thinking nothing of it.

Jonah rolled his eyes. "That don't make any since. How come ya had ta get that close ta him?"

Dan shrugged his shoulders and continued to eat.

* * *

By the time the ranch was within sight the three brothers were in need of a soft bed. They had only stopped riding every now and then to water the horses. Dan and Jonah continued to follow behind them. The constant yell of idiot and the arguments that followed was beginning to wear on the Barkley's nerves. By the times the house was in sight, Nick thought he might just strangle someone.

"Heath! Nick, Jarrod!" Audra yelled. She had been going out to the barn to take care of her many dogs and cats and was completely surprised to see her brothers. Audra quickly ran across the yard and hugged Heath. Victoria had heard Audra yell and was following close behind.

Heath's feet had just touched the ground when Audra hugged him as tightly as she could. Heath winced at the pain coming from all his bruises and broken ribs, but he hugged her back.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Audra asked.

"I'll be fine in a few minutes," Heath told her. He grinned when she glared at him. She then went to hug Nick and Jarrod.

"Heath," Victoria hugged him, but not as tight as Audra had. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Mother. Nothin' wrong that a good nights rest can't fix," Heath smiled.

She took a step back and looked at him she noted the banged around his head. She decided not to question him about it now and accepted the answer and went to greet her other two sons. After they had all greeted one another Victoria noticed Dan and Jonah.

Heath noticed them standing around too. "Mother, this is Jonah and Daniel. Jonah, Dan this is my mother, Mrs. Barkley."

"Howdy ma'am," Jonah replied.

"Nice ta meet ya," Dan added.

* * *

They talked all through diner and enjoyed coffee in the parlor. Dan and Jonah had stayed for diner, but were now in the bunk house asleep. They had refused to stay in the guest room. Now with a cold cup of coffee in their hands all three of the Barkley brothers were on the verge of falling asleep.

Heath was the first to speak. "Boy Howdy, I sure am tired. I think I'll head on up to bed. Goodnight, Mother, Audra." Heath kissed them goodnight before going up stair to his room.

"I think I'll turn in too," Jarrod agreed. He also kissed Victoria and Audra goodnight then followed Heath upstairs.

"Night, Mother, Audra." Nick followed behind his brothers.

* * *

Heath silently stared up at the ceiling. He was tired, actually past tired he was exhausted, but his mind wouldn't stop. So much had happened in just a few days, buying the stallion was the easy part. Now as he thought about it he wondered what had happened to the horse. He'd have to ask Nick in the morning. And what are the odds that he would meet and get beaten by Nick's look alike. He couldn't forget shooting him and waking up thinking it was Nick. The thought that he killed Nick had scared him in a way he had never been scared before. It was a memory that would have to be pushed back into the far reaches of his mind.

* * *

Sorry I'm so, so very late in updating life tends to get in the way sometimes. By the way I temporarily disabled guest reviews, but you can now review as a guest again. One more chapter to go and it will be short. This story seems to have gone down hill so I plan to go back and make a few changes later on. Thanks for the reviews.


	10. The End

Heath watched as a young foal ran circles around it's dam. It had rained the last two days in a row and this was the foal's first day out. The colt eagerly jumped into puddles and ran through the tall damp grass. The smell after rain and the bright green grass made the day beautiful. For Heath though, the day hadn't started out to great. A night filled with nightmares, not about carterson, but about the outlaw that looked like Nick. They never did figure out what his name was. But what had made his day so bad was when the nightmares seemed to follow him throughout the day. It had left him jumping whenever he saw Nick.

Nick hadn't noticed at first, but when he did it began to wear on his nerves. He didn't say anything for awhile, but Nick had his limits. It wasn't that he was mad at Heath it was more that he was mad at the men that had beat him. Nick hadn't yelled or anything just left the room and slammed the door behind him. Heath wasn't sure where Nick had went, but he wasn't surprised to see him now coming towards the coral. Without saying a word Nick leaned against the coral next to Heath.

Several minutes of silence went by before Heath finally spoke, "look, Nick, I don't mean flinch when I see you. I-"

Nick cut him off, "I know you had nightmares last night. I went in to check on you once and you was saying my name and something about shooting. I ain't mad at you, I'm mad at thim. They had no reason to come after you like they did. No reason to beat you. It just makes me so, so," Nick at lose for words held his hands in front of him and looked like he was strangling someone.

"I know," Heath really did know what Nick meant. The two brothers continued to watch the colt play around it's mother.

They grinned when they heard the yell " you idiot!" The two mountain men had hung around the ranch taking care of odd jobs here and there. They weren't bad guys just a little on the ornery side.

Heath and Nick walked to the house with the arms around each other's shoulders.

* * *

As a present to myself I'm posting this short ending on my birthday. Yay I'm sixteen today!

I hope you all have enjoyed this story. All your reviews are what helped me to finish it. Also I know you would like to know more about the mountain men. I intend to write a sequel, but it will probably be a while. I have another story that I hope to have up soon.

Thanks to-

moira4eku

Rachel L Driscoll

kimber1461

Jo

Tauna Petit-Strawn

Jenny

Shire from collieandshire

Ruby

Trinideanfan

mmkfire

Peggy319

TPS (Who I think is Tauna Petit-Strawn, but I'm not positive).

and whoever the two guest reviews are from and all who have taken the time to read this story, thanks.

Thanks for all the reviews and advice. I promise I have listened to all your advice. Also sorry if I forgot to add someone to the list.

Missmess11.


End file.
